Went back and forth on this one for some time before finally pulling the trigger and buying a Super Splitter Electric J Model. Picked it up yesterday from the freight terminal and with the help of my son, managed to get it off the truck and assembled. Shipping weight was 550; built up a stack of pallets to the truck floor height and slid the thing off using furniture slides after removing the tires and axle that were strapped to the outside. Unpacked the rest from atop the pallets and managed the assembly without the suggested 1000 lb lifting device (that would have been very helpful). Tested it out by splitting several pieces of american elm and surprisingly stubborn black cherry that had resisted the x27; split it easily (and quietly!). Will be giving it more work this weekend (will see how it handles the silver maple from h*ll that I have been fighting since spring). Will try to take some pictures and video of it in action. Here are the specifics: Super Splitter J Model Electric (1 hp Marathon motor wired for 110v) Found this guy guarding one of my wood corrals this morning.
Congrats man-I've watched many vids and have always been impressed-just dont be concerned with speed-Good luck
Congratulations That's a cool splitter , I do miss the quiet of the electric but love vertical mode on the new one
Congrats, now that x27 will be put to good use to keep the door proped open. The electric is nice, didn't know they made one. Any peace at the woodpile is a good thing.
It was 78 here today and I split 4 pull carts of wood without breaking a sweat! I gave the machine a pretty decent test today; all the wood split was either elm or twisted grain silver maple or black cherry. I don't use the machine like shown in the YouTube videos; I place the wood against the wedge with my left hand and move it down to my side before pulling the handle with my right hand. I also have no desire to set any speed records; just wanted something quiet and that could split 95% of my wood. I'm fine with noodling the big stuff into quarters to feed this machine and the really bad ones I will just cut into six inch wafers (or leave them in the woods). Here are a few more pictures, will try to get a video tomorrow. This one was real nasty; took three strikes and I ended up getting it stuck on the wedge. This was from a tree service and is a good example of something I won't try splitting again.
Let me warn you, this was my exact reaction when I first saw one. If you are not careful, you may end up buying one. I tried resisting it, but in the end I had to have one. I'm hoping the SS will help me streamline my wood processing so I can get way ahead of the game. My desired work flow is 1) cut it, 2) load it into my tractor cart, 3) take it to the SS, 4) split into my hand cart, 5) move it to the stacks. Having large piles of unprocessed wood bothers me for some reason; I want it drying the same day I cut it.
Im the same way, bothers me cause I know it should be in the drying process and not the on deck circle.
HarvestMan, Real nice posts, thanks alot. If I were to get another splitter I am with you. Electric and something that I can stand at upright, to operate. When you were all said and done what did it cost? Wife says the rent the splitter once a year and have a splitting day with the both kids and our cutting partners is still the way to go. I am beginning to think that I like the "incremental approach" a little each day.
If you have help, a yearly splitting party sounds fun to me. None of my friends are wood burners, so I'm mostly a team of one; my 17 year old son will help on occasion, but he prefers doing other chores to help around the house. I find firewood processing more enjoyable when I limit it to shorter periods of time. I too prefer standing upright for splitting and cutting; at times the chainsaw kills my back so I really put a limit on the amount of cutting per session. Will have to see if the SS is the correct height, if it needs to be raised slightly (I'm almost 6'4") I will build something to put under the tires and front stand. Incremental works good for me since I cut within garden tractor distance of my home. Tried the tree service loads and this was great for getting a lot of wood, but way too many shorts and the wood was so much larger than I had ever processed before. I do have a standing order for a load of Black Locust as I just don't have access to any on the properties I cut and really would like to have some in the stacks. Here is my invoice. The only prices not shown on the Super Split website are the crating charge and shipping which of course varies by distance. The production table is optional, but I can't see operating without it.
Here is a video I made yesterday (phone in left hand, splitting with right ... not such a great idea). Uploaded this to YouTube as unlisted to reduce the risk of it going viral It is a bit boring to watch, but it gives you an idea of what it is like to see (and hear) it operating from the user's point of view.
